It is frequently necessary to lock together two pieces of apparatus in an accurate relationship to each other whilst allowing the two pieces of apparatus to be unlocked and separated when required, and subsequently brought together and locked together again, for example to allow one of the pieces of apparatus to be replaced or for maintenance. It is highly desirable that the locking and unlocking mechanism is both easy to operate and accurate, whilst being secure.
A particular application of this kind of locking mechanism is to conveyor belt systems. For example it may be necessary to lock handling or testing devices adjacent to the conveyor belt in an accurate position such that for example the handling or testing devices can accurately remove and replace, or otherwise handle, or test, articles on the conveyor. An example of this type of system is an automated clinical testing system, in which vials containing clinical samples for testing are transported by a conveyor, with automatic testing equipment adjacent to the conveyor. Such handling and testing devices are conveniently mounted on a mobile platform, table or trolley which can be moved adjacent to the conveyor, and then locked to the conveyor. It is therefore desirable to provide a locking mechanism which can easily be used with such a platform, table or trolley.
It is an object of this invention to provide a locking mechanism that achieves these desirable features.